‘Don’t wanna get shot, don’t stab a cop’: Police sergeant is sacked and 17 other officers are under investigation over sale of ‘Blue Lives Matter’ T-shirts in indigenous community
- Northern Territory police officer sacked over singlet referring to fatal shooting
- Singlet referred to a fatal shooting of indigenous 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker
- NT Police Constable Zachary Rolfe, 28, was charged with one count of murder
- Seventeen other officers are now under investigation over the singlets
A police sergeant has been sacked and at least 17 other officers are under investigation over the sale of a t-shirt that reads: ‘Don’t wanna get shot, don’t stab a cop’.
The ‘highly inappropriate’ shirts which also have the hashtag ‘Blue Lives Matter’ were printed by a 61-year-old Northern Territory officer who was dismissed on Wednesday.
The shirts refer to the death of Indigenous man, Kumanjayi Walker, 19, who was shot by police in November.
NT Police Constable Zachary Rolfe, 28, was charged with one count of murder over the shooting and has pleaded not guilty.
A Northern Territory police officer has been sacked over his role in printing and trying to sell clothing deemed ‘disgraceful’ referring a fatal shooting in the Northern Territory
Rolfe’s lawyers claim he and his partner were stabbed by Mr Walker before they shot him, the NT News reported.
One of the officers under investigation over the shirt is the 19-year-old son of the former police sergeant.
The other officers have been given notices over their knowledge or involvement in distributing the shirts.
Some of the police involved are believed to have purchased the singlets.
In a statement at the time NT Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker condemned the ‘highly inappropriate content’.
The singlet referred to the fatal police shooting of indigenous 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker (pictured) in Yuendumu in 2019
‘[The Commissioner] offers his sincere apology to the community for the actions of the individual or individuals who have created the material that has appeared.’
Assistant Commissioner Michael White said at the time ‘the actions of the officer were disgraceful’.
‘For a serving officer to be involved in this behaviour brings disrepute to the entire police force and this behaviour is unacceptable.
‘I reiterate the Commissioner’s apology to the community for the conduct of this member.’
NT Police Constable Zachary Rolfe, 28, (pictured receiving 2018 Clarke Medal from then Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrovewas) was charged with one count of murder over the shooting last November but intends to plead not guilty
Indigenous man David Cole shared a photo of the singlet and told National Indigenous TV at the time it ‘exacerbates the trauma we feel when dealing with police.’
NT Police have confirmed the investigation is ongoing and a ‘number of officers’ have been ‘directed to provide a response to allegations’.
It comes after protests erupted across the world following the death of unarmed, African American George Floyd who died in police custody.
Over the weekend marches were held in Darwin calling for an end to Aboriginal deaths in custody.
NT Indigenous man David Cole shared it and told National Indigenous TV at the time that the image ‘exacerbates the trauma we feel when dealing with police’ (a protest in 2019 over the shooting is pictured)